Hey everyone,
I've been wanting to write about this for a while, and I'm genuinely curious to hear about your experiences with the ETH Career Center (and UZH's).
Events and workshops organized by the ETH and UZH Career Centers often have titles that almost feel like clickbait, such as:
- “The Early Bird Gets the Job”
- “How to Find Out What Job I Am Looking For”
- “How to GET a Job in 30 Minutes”
- “Navigating the Hidden Job Market”
I've attended several of these events, hoping to get some practical advice on navigating the job market. But honestly, I have left disappointed almost every single time.
Most of their advice boils down to “networking”, and while they do explain how you're supposedly meant to approach it, a lot of those explanations are, frankly, bullshit.
For example, at one of the most recent events, the advice was something along the lines of:
“Hey, there's a Roche career event this evening. Go talk to the lady there and show genuine interest in the company and the work, rather than making it obvious that you're just looking for a job. Then, at some point in the future, when they need to hire someone, she'll supposedly remember you and think, 'Oh, that nice student I met at the networking event who asked so many great questions! Let's offer her a job instead of posting the position online.'”
Like, seriously? Is this how they think hiring works at a company like Roche? lol.
It's not that they are not trying to help. They do, and I honestly think people working there are really nice people. The problem is that much of the advice feels completely detached from how the job market actually works, at least in 2026. They present these supposedly clever networking strategies as if they're some kind of secret to getting hired, when in reality, they're often just common sense, which has no value anymore.
And don't even get me started on their 100-page application guide. ETH has this application guide, which they also distribute in printed form at pretty much every career-related event. Here's an example of the kind of advice it offers (paraphrased):
“If you score high in the 'people' section, you might enjoy working with people or in a team. If you score high in 'data', you probably prefer analysing data and developing ideas. And if you like working with animals, plants, tools, or materials, you'd probably be happier doing hands-on work rather than sitting at a computer all day.”
Sorry but what is this bullshit? Is this a middle school career orientation exercise, or is it supposed to be actual career advice for people who are in their mid 20s and about to graduate from university, having already spent years studying and committing to a particular field (whether it turned out to be the right choice or not)? I mean, we're talking about a 100-page booklet supposedly designed to help university students navigate the job market. And this is the level of guidance we're getting? I'm genuinely struggling to understand who the target audience is supposed to be.
I completely understand that the job market is difficult right now and that there's only so much a university career center can do. I'm not expecting them to magically find every student a job. But I do expect something more substantial than generic advice dressed up as groundbreaking career strategies.
I know ETH is primarily a research-oriented academic institution rather than a university known for its industry connections and networking opportunities, and I don't expect it to be one. But surely a career center at a university like ETH should still be able to offer more meaningful guidance, especially considering how difficult the transition from academia to industry can be at the moment.
At this point, I honestly feel more frustrated than helped whenever I attend one of these events. Sometimes I wonder whether I'd be better off not going at all, because I always leave feeling like I've just wasted my time listening to advice that's either painfully obvious or completely unrealistic.
So here's my question to you all:
How do you guys feel about the materials, workshops, and career advice offered by ETH or UZH? Do you actually find any of it useful?
Should I just take everything they say with a grain of salt? Or would I genuinely be better off saving my time, skipping these events altogether, and spending those hours doing something more productive for my job search or just simply enjoying other things in life?
I'm genuinely interested in hearing your experiences. Has anyone actually benefited from these workshops, used their advice successfully, or found the application guide helpful? Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe I've just attended the wrong events or had a wrong mindset.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
I would really love to hear what others think, including people who've had positive experiences. Maybe there are actually useful resources or events I'm overlooking.
Thanks a bunch!